Are You "Bringing It" To Work?

Caroline Dowd-Higgins is the author of "This Is Not the Career I Ordered" and maintains the career reinvention blog www.carolinedowdhiggins.com. She is the Director of Career & Professional Development at Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Selena Rezvani, author of "Pushback: How Smart Women Ask And Stand Up For What They Want" was a guest on my CBS Radio Show Career Coach Carolinelast month and talked about being the CEO of your own position no matter where you are in your career lifespan. Taking control and asking for what you want at work and in life is essential if you want to honor your plan and not one that was prescribed for you by the establishment.

On a recent employer relations trip I made to Chicago in order to mine new jobs for my law students, a Vice President of Human Resources for a major corporation shared an inspiring story about a young professional who skyrocketed upward in his organization. I inquired about how this superstar distinguished himself and earned promotional opportunities, and the VP with whom I was meeting smiled and simply responded: “He asked for new challenges and promotional opportunities so we knew he was hungry for it.” If you wait for the powers that be to recognize your accomplishments you’ll need to have extreme patience. According to Selena Rezvani, you must “ask your way up” and manage up to make your aspirations and career goals known to your boss and her boss.

DeeDee Wilson, former CFO at NIKE shared in Selena’s book: “I’ve never been afraid to say, ‘This is what I want and why, and this is how I plan to deliver on it.’ If I was told ‘no’ the first time, I would go back and ask several more times. You need to take what you want!”

Create Your Own Tipping Point

By bringing it, setting goals, and dreaming big you not only honor yourself but you can create the momentum you need for your personal tipping point. All of these things add up and will help you prioritize what you want and deserve in your professional life.

I take comfort in knowing that I am in control of my professional dreams and my career future. I can change my mind, change direction, and reinvent as often as I wish. But bringing it is my way of embracing my dreams, walking tall, and owning my self-confidence. That’s the message I want to send out into the world.

Consider the legacy you want to leave in the world. Are you bringing it?